Rapoport, Geoff

Instructor Name: Rapoport, Geoff

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General Information

Base Airport

All

Teaches At

PAO, SQL

Accepts New Students

Yes

Payment Types Accepted

PayPal, Check, Venmo

E-Mail/Phone

geoffrapoport@gmail.com (415) 902-8133

Website

Hourly Rate

$90

Ratings Held

See Below

AC Instructs In

See Below

About the Instructor

Ratings held:CFI, CFII

AC Instructs in:Cirrus SR20, SR22; Citabria 7ECA, ACA Super Decathlon; Cessna 152, 162, 172M/N, 172SP, 172RG, 182;Mooney T-M20N; Diamond DA40 and DA40NGWhy are you a Certified Flight Instructor?That's a more complicated question than you'd think. The short answer is that it's fun, but see comments below.How long have you been instructing?I've been teaching at West Valley since 2015.Do you tend to favor PAO or SQL, and how might it affect a student's ability to schedule time?Generally, due to better aircraft availability, PAO works out better most of the time. That said, SQL, is closer to home for me, so if it works out for everyone, I am happy to go there.How would you describe your availability in general?In addition to flight instructing, I also fly the Embraer 175 for a regional airline, so I am gone about half the time, but when I'm here, I can do most any time or day of the week. I like to schedule by email, so please reach out prior to putting something up on Schedule Master. What method of ground school do you prefer and how does it relate to your syllabus?My syllabus has reading assignments built-in that correspond to the phase of training, but the right method for acquiring aeronautical knowledge depends tremendously on the student, their background and learning style. I'll have suggestions, but whatever you want to use is fine with me. My preference is not to do a ton of ground instruction--but I can as needed. I don't think it's a great way to learn or terribly cost efficient for students. It's better for you to study on your own, then come to me with questions. What is your favorite aircraft to instruct in?It's not about me. I like using the right tool for the job. I want to teach you in an aircraft that will make it easy for you to learn to safely fly your intended mission.What are your aircraft recommendations for a new student?That depends on the student and their goals. The Citabria is fun and builds great aviation fundamentals. It's not a great cross-country tool and is somewhat demanding. The Cessna 172 is the world's easiest trainer. Extremely docile and easy to fly. It's my go-to recommendation for most pilots. The Cirrus is a higher performance aircraft. People do get their license in them, but it demands a somewhat higher precision than the Cessna. You can switch later. You're not stuck for life. Additional Comments:Before I was a pilot, the sort of sentiment that follows would have induced aggressive eye rolling or worse, but it’s all true. Becoming a pilot will change you. It will make you more resourceful. It will make you more confident—and more humble. If you keep your eyes open, it will make you more grateful, because if you’re lucky enough to fly, then you’re lucky enough. When we go fly on just another average Saturday morning, you have an experience that for many people would be the highlight of the best vacation of their lives. If you’re flying and not getting this, it may be time to try a new instructor.

To be clear, it’s a ton of work. Becoming a pilot involves way more reading and way more paperwork than you thought. There’s a lot of “I thought I was studying to be a pilot, not a lawyer/engineer/doctor/meteorologist” and more “is this really necessary?” Having been a mechanical engineer and a lawyer before coming to flight instructing, I like to teach my students the "why" of flying--both the physics and the regulations. Some students are perfectly happy to memorize and follow the rules of what you're supposed to do when, but my students learn how and why the system fits together the way it does. (1) If I didn’t think it was essential, I wouldn’t make you do it; and (2) it’s totally worth it.

So why am I a flight instructor? The same reason you’re becoming a pilot. I get to retake the journey with every student. I can never have another first solo, but I’m super excited for your first solo—even if I have to watch from the ground.